This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 028,673, filed Mar. 20, 1987 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,750.
The present invention relates to bandages and more particularly to surgical bandages for the areola and nipple area of a woman's breast following a radical mastectomy.
Following a radical mastectomy it is necessary to rebuild the patient's breast, and silicone implants are used to give the new breast the needed mass. Tissue is taken from the vaginal area or ear lobe to construct the nipple and then the surrounding area is tattooed to match the coloring of the woman's other breast. In the past to then protect the surgically-created nipple and surrounding areola several loose sterile pads were taped in place, and the end of a syringe was cut off and positioned over the new nipple to cover it and then taped into place with the loose sterile pads.
This bandage construction requires a great deal of manipulation thereof and thus has proven to not b as sterile as desired, and often this bandage would not sufficiently protect the new tissue from the unsanitary environment especially when it was not carefully applied. Also the manipulation is uncomfortable to the patient, and the patient could not herself as a practical matter make and change her own bandage. It also often would not be form fitting and so discomfort would result from excessive contact with the newly-formed tissues. Further, the involved manipulating procedure of constructing and applying this bandage and its "jury-rigged" appearance have often been discomforting to women who have undergone the emotional trauma of a radical mastectomy. This bulky bandage may also not allow the overlying clothing to hang smoothly over the reconstructed breast. The bandage also does not provide any outward support for the nipple so that during the healing process the nipple would tend to fall to one side or the other against the encircling cut syringe body or slump down within the syringe body, and then heal in that slanted or slumped position. Further, if it was later desired to apply any type of medication to the reconstructed nipple, the bandage would first have to be removed and then subsequently either that bandage or preferably a new bandage applied which is a very discomforting procedure for the woman.